Reader Review: Bobbi Brown Black Ruby Sparkle Palette

My reader Nora got her hands on the Bobbi Brown Black Ruby Sparkle Palette and she was excited to share the news with not only me but all of you as well.

So here’s a brief peek, review, and swatches of the new Bobbi Brown Black Ruby Sparkle Palette for Holiday 2011 brought to you by Nora.

Check it out!

I would say this is a lovely addition for any makeup lover (because of the beautiful appearance of the compact) and an even lovelier addition for any Bobbi Brown Sparkle eyeshadow fan. As with her other sparkle shadows, I can’t recommend highly enough to forgo using a brush and to use your finger instead. If you truly want to see the glitter and color of the base, use your fingers. The brush this palette comes with isn’t terrible, but is pretty similar to most palette brushes, i.e. small and not great.

The colors themselves, I would say, all have a pink undertone to them. I noticed this most when I swatched the white color – I expected a frosty white but it has a pink sheen to it in the light. Lovely! Like the sparkle version of MAC’s Pink Opal pigment. The pink is a soft, baby pink. The third color is hard to describe. It’s…can I say a mauve-taupe? It’s a slightly-dark maybe brown-ish color with a definite mauve tone to it. Think MAC’s Quarry eyeshadow, perhaps a smidge darker, and you get the idea. And the darkest is a beautiful dark burgundy color.

I tried all the colors on right after the FedEx man came. 🙂 They didn’t last all day, but I hadn’t used my trusty UDPP, either. But I will note even with creasing due to lack of good layering, the lasting pigments remained. That is to say, when I took my makeup off, my lids were still noticeably light, my crease was darker, and my outer corners were still noticeably defined. I could see some people wanting to use a dark base under this; this would truly amplify the colors and their respective glitters. I’m definitely trying that in the near future! A light base for day would be amazing, too. (I’m a fan of NYX’s jumbo pencils, so Milk or Black Bean would be great.)

In short, the palette is a beauty to behold. As you can see from the picture, the outer packaging, I think, is quite chic. Any fan of sparkly shadows or of pink- or berry-toned palettes will love this. Any Bobbi Brown sparkle eyeshadow fan will (obviously) especially love this. As with her other sparkle shadows, people who don’t like using their fingers or a sponge applicator to apply product probably won’t care for these. But in my opinion, a great holiday present!

About the Muse

Isabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.